Whiffletree-coupling



(No Model.)

S. BEERS.

WHIFFLET'REE COUPLING. No. 394,811. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

I lllllllllllllllllmllllllll W/7 8 55555, vsy/m UNTTED STATES PATENT @EETcE.

bMITlI BEERS, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

WHlFFLETREE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,811, dated D332 11321 18, 1888.

I Application filed May 22, 1888. Serial No. 274,693. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SMITH BEERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fail-field and State of (onnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vhittletree-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a device of this class adapted either to attach a whittletree to a crossbar or an evener to a pole, the essential requirements being that the device shall be simple in constructimi, strong, neat in appearance, and inexpensive to produce, and the special advantages of my improved construction being, first, that 1 provide a double connection between the whiliietree and the cross-bar, so that it the ordinary whiliietree-boltbreaks the whi'ltletree still re mains firmly attached to the cross-bar, and, secondly, that 1 limit the oscillation of the whifiietree or evener, thereby preventing contact with the wheels and rendering the use of straps unnecessary.

\Vith these ends in view I have devised the novel construction of which the followin description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.

Figure .l is an elevation of a portion of a cross-bar and whittletree, showing my improved coupling in use. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively inverted plan and edge views of the whiffletree-plate detached; Fig. 4,, a plan view of the upper plate; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower plate for attachment to the cross-bar.

1 denotes the whitflctrec, and 2 the crossbar, or, in case two horses are to be used, the parts are respectively designated as singletree and evener or doubletree.

3 denotes a plate, which is' secured to the whiffietree by bolts 4, and which is provided with a bearing-surface, 5, and a central stud, 6, having at its outer end a cross-piece, 7.

8 and 9 denote, respectively, upper and lower plates, attached to the cross-bar by bolts 10, passing through both plates. Plate .9 lies next to the cross-bar, and is provided with a central opening, 11, the longest diameter of which lies transversely to the plate. The upper plate is provided with a central opening, 12, the longest diameter of which lies longitudinally to the plate, and with a bearing-surface, 13, corresponding with surface 5 upon plate 3, the two surfaces lying in contact in use.

1% denotes the ordinary whili letree-bolt, which is passed through the usual openings in the whifiietree and cross-bar, through an opening, 15, made through plate 3, the stud and cross-piece, and through the central openings in plates 8 and 9.

In attaching, plate 3 is first secured to the whittletree by bolts 4. Bolts 10 are then placed in the screw-lmles in plate 8, the crossbar is passed through the opening in said plate, after which the-plate is turned parallel with plate 2-3, and then the bolts are passed through the holes in plate 9, and the cross-bar is placed in opening 11. Bolts 10 are then passed through the usual openings in the cross-bar and secured by nuts in the usual manner, after which the whi'ltletree-bolt is passed through all of the plates, the whiftlelree, and the cross-bar, and secured by a nut in the usual manner.

The operation of the cross-piece in opening 11 in plate 9 is clearly shown in Fig. 5. The exact shape of the opening or of the crosspiece is not an essential feature of my inven tion. I make the cross-piece slightly smaller than the opening, and ordinarily taper the sides slightly, as shown, so as to permit sufficient movement of the cross-piece in the opening to give the desired. amount of oscillation to the whilfietree, such oscillation being limited by the contact of the edges of the crosspiece with the sides of opening 11. It will be seen that after plates 8 and f) are attached to the cross-bar by bolts 10 the whit'fletree is held in place very strongly, irrespective of the ordinary whiliictree-bolt, which I have designated by 11, so that should said bolt break in use there will be no danger whatever of the whi filetree dropping, as it will be firmly held by the stud and cross-bar, which will be in engagement with the openings in plates 8 and 9, the cross-piece lying transversely to the opening in plate 8, so that it cannot be removed until .the whitfletree-bolt and bolts 10 have been taken out, the parts all lifted from the cross-bar, and plate 9 dropped. The whitlietree may then be turned at a right angle to plate i which will place The cross-piece at the lower end of the stud in line with opening 12 in plate 9, when said plate may be de- T aeh ed.

It will of course be understood that the various details of construction may be changed within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claiml. A whiltletree-coupling consisting of a plate for at tacl'unent to The whitlietree, provided with a stud and a 1'ross-pi(,*ce, and lower plates for attaeln'nent to The cross-bar, said plates having central openings lying transversely to each other, the openin in the lower plate bein adapted To receive the cross-piece when the whittletree is in operative position, and to limit the. oscillation thereof by the engagement ot the cross-piece with the sides of the opening.

:3. A whitlletree-coupling consisting of a plate for attachment to the whil'fietree, having a bearing-surtace, 5, a central stud, and a cross-piece at the outer end thereof, and upper and lower plates for attachment To the crossbar hav ing open in to receive the crosspiece lying transversely To each ot her, the upper plate havil'lg a l )eari ng-su rlaaae corresponding with snrlface 3. Plate $3,ha\'ing a stud and a cross-piece, with a hole, 15, through said plate, stud, and cross-piece, and plates and 9, having openings ii and ll lying transversely to each other, in combination with the cross-bar and whiftletree and bolt 14, passing through the whiffletree and cross-bar and Through said plates, the stud, and the cross-piece, substantially as (lGSOlibQCl.

l. A whiflietree, plate 3, having a central stud and cross-piece, and bolts securing said plate to the whitfietree, in combination with a cross-bar, upper plate, 8, having a central opening lying transversely to the cross-piece, a lower plate, 9, having an opening to receive the cross-piece when the whittletree is in 0perative position, and bolts passing through plates tand t) and the cross-bar, whereby all of the parts are retained in operative posi- Tion.

The combination, with the whifiietree, plate 3, having a bearing-surface, a central stud, and a cross-piece, with an opening through said plate, stud, and cross-piece, and bolts securing said plate and the whillietree, ot the cross-bar, plate 9, having a bearingsurt'z'lce and an opening to receive the crosspiece, but lying transversely thereto in its normal position, plate t), having an opening to receive the cross-piece in its normal position, bolts securing said plate to the crossbar, and a bolt, ll, extending through the whittletree and cross-bar and all of The parts of the coupling.

In Testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SMITH BEERS.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM Bitten, (,IIRTS'JIAN Quinn. 

